Steel partition and door



. S. HUGHES.

STEEL PARTITION AND DOOR.

` APPLlcATloN FILED SEPT. 15. .1919.

Patend Mar. 29, 1921.

WITN ESSES A'l-TORNEY UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

STEEL PARTITION AND DOOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 29, 1921.

Application filed September 16, 1919. Serial No. 324,239.

To all whom t may concern: j

Be it known that I, ARTHUR S. HUGHES, a citizen of the United States, residing at iilansiield, in the county of` Mansfield and lState of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Steel Partition and Door, of which the icllowing is a specification.

rllhis invention relates to a means for locking the panels ot pressed steel partitions, hollow doors and the like.

1t is the primary object of this invention to provide a lock which will. adapt itself to the varying thicknesses and irregularities ot pressed steel sheets and yet will be strong and secure.

.another object is to provide an interlocking construction which will hold panels without the necessity of spot welding and the consequent liability ci buckling.

A it'urther object is to construct a lock which will be practical from the shop standpoint and from that of economy.

The present invention is an improvement related to the construction described in my pending application Serial No. 317,746, filed August 15, 1919.

In order to comprehend lthe scope and advantages ci' this invention, reference should be made to the drawing accompanying this speciticaticn and forming a part thereof.

In the drawing Figure l is a cross-sectional view of a part ot a partition or door constructed in accordance with the invention.

Fig. 2 is a section taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. l;

Fig. 23 is a section on the line 3-3 of Fig. l.;

Fig. 41. is a perspective detail View ot' a portion ot a panel and ll-lig. 5 is another cross sectional view, but' op a diii'erent plane from Fig. 1 and omitting the locking clip.

The numeral 10 designates a hollow stile ot a steel partition or door, and 11 desig- `hates a panel clamping molding consisting ci two like parts or jaws 12 turned into the stile and separated by a space wide enough to admit panels of average thickness. A panel 1,3 is fitted between the jaws 12 and is locked in place by means to be described.

liacli jaw 12 has a series of spaced indentaticns forming projections 111 of oblong shape running longitudinally with the stile as Fig. shows. The oblong projections on the flanges oppose each other as seen in Fig. 3,

for inequalities ci manufacture, a lengthwise adjustment o'ithe panel in the jaws beim.;l possible. The width o1 indentations lllis approximately equal to the diameter of projections l5.

An additional locking mea-ns for the panel and stile jaws is provided in the form of a spring clip 16, elliptical in crosssection, which is of the length of the panel j and has a split portion 17. This split pcrtion or slot permits the clip to be slipped over the end of the panel and jaws and forced into such position that the edges of the split press aga-inst the jaws while the clip in closes the panel edge and the oblong projections of the jaws. rllhe elliptical shape of the clip brings the inner edge of the panel tight against the inner wall of the clip, thus locking the clip against movement in one direction, while the tension of the clip against the jaws adjoining the oblong proj ections locks the clip against movement in the opposite direction. The resiliency of the clip tends to make it resume a more narrowly elliptical form, with the result that the panel edge is pressed against, while at the same time the jaws are under considerable pressure.

The round projections of the panel en gaging with alternate right and left oblong indentations provided in the jaws form a locking means which is under constant pressure from the clip. v

The above described construction is well adapted not only for partitions between compartments and for doors, but can be used to advantage inmaking metallic furniture, in Pullman car construction, and wherever metallic sheets and panels must be locked to a frame.

It will be noted that the present invention consists of but three parts, the stile, the panel and the clip. Each of these parts is in one piece, and Vno bolts, rivets, screws or welding are employed. The 'clip not only forces the stile jaws Ytogether thus gripping the interposed panel, but Valso presses against the panel directly along its edge. The panel is held by the 4pressure of the jaws as well as by the interlocking connection with the jaws. This makes al veryl tight and strong joint, avoiding the buckling of the panel which spot welding frequently brings about.

While the invention has been described in detail, it should .be understood that the description is illustrative of the preferred embodiment of the invention and does not absolutely limit the same. I desire to be limited only by the appended claims.

Vilhat isV claimed is .1. ln combination, a stile, jaws provided on the stile, said jaws having a series of spaced indentations, a panel inserted between the jaws and extended at its edge be* yond the same having a complementary series of spaced projections for locking with the first-named indentations, and a clip directly engaging the jaws and panel to additionally' lock the same.

2. In combination', va stile, jaws provided on'the stile, said jaws having a series of spaced oblong indentation-s, a panel inserted between the jaws and extended at its edge beyond the -same having a complementary series of 'spaced circular projections for locking with the first-named indentations, and a clip directly engaging both jaws and the panel along the edge thereof to addilocking with the oblong indentations, said round indentations being formed alternately on opposite i'aces of the panel, and a clip d1- rectly engaging the jaws and contacting with the panel, the projections on the jaws holding' the clip from movement in one direction and the vcontact of the clip with the edge of the panel preventing movement in the opposite direction.

d. A stile having spaced jaws with outward projections, a panel inserted between the jaws and extended at its edge beyond the same, and a substantially ellipticalshaped clip having a split portion to re ceive the jaws with the panel therebetween, the walls of the split engaging with the jaws at one side of the projections and holdingthe clip from outward movement, and the extended edge oi' the panel engaging the inside of the clip and preventing inward movement of the latter.

ln testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, have hereto alixed mv signature.

ARTHUR SHERIDAN HUGHES. 

